Ja predicted to win 10 medals in Doha

Star sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson will lead Jamaica to a 10-medal haul at this year’s World Championships.

That’s the long-range forecast from the respected United States (US) publication, Track & Field News.

Fraser-Pryce and Thompson are also expected to help Jamaica to a gold-medal performance in the women’s 4x100m relay.

Overall, Track & Field News gives Jamaica three gold, four silver and three bronze medals in a set of predictions appearing on the magazine’s website, www.trackandfieldnews.com, on August 10.

Noting that the late September 28 start date for the World Championships has made predictions difficult, the forecast gives Jamaica a one-two finish in the women’s 100m, with Fraser-Pryce over Thompson, who is the expected winner of the 200m.

“In a normal year, one can do a pretty good job of making World Champs medal predictions by the time August rolls around (particularly when the meet was in July!), but this is no ordinary year. Even as we close down the August edition, there are still some six weeks to go before things get under way in Doha, and that’s just too far out for comfort,” wrote the US publication.

However, no podium place is pinpointed for Jamaica’s reigning 110-metre hurdles champion, Omar McLeod as the gold, silver, and bronze prizes are assigned to Orlando Ortega of Spain, 2015 winner Sergey Shubenkov of Russia, and young American Grant Holloway, who lowered the 40-year old NCAA record to 12.98 this year, respectively. The old mark – 13.00 – was set in 1979 by legendary hurdler Renaldo ‘Skeets’ Nehemiah.

The Track & Field News medal predictions do not yet cover the new mixed 4x400 metres relay as the magazine says, “Note that we have not tried to handicap the mixed 4×4 and won’t do so until we see how nations are going to parcel out their quarter-mile talent.”

The Bahamas are tabbed to embellish their notable 400 metres tradition with three medals.

They are gold for Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the women’s race, bronze for 2017 runner-up Steven Gardiner in the men’s event, and bronze for Gardiner and his teammates behind the US and defending champions Trinidad and Tobago in the men’s 4x400m.